YCCAC gets grant to support cancer program

SANFORD — York County Community Action Corporation’s transportation program has again been awarded a $10,000 grant by the Maine Cancer Foundation to support its Connecting to Cancer Care Program.

The purpose of the program is to provide all York County residents who have a cancer diagnosis equal access to the treatment they need, so that lack of transportation is not an obstacle to their recovery.

People who receive a cancer diagnosis can often face the additional challenge of getting to the treatment they need, on top of needing to address the medical and psychological aspects of cancer. While MaineCare reimburses eligible members for mileage to medical appointments, there are many individuals who are not eligible for MaineCare and who do not have a friend of family member who can transport them to treatments.

YCCAC’s Connecting to Cancer Care Program, funded by the Maine Cancer Foundation since 2007, provides needed transport to appointments for radiation, chemotherapy, oncology visits and other treatments, as often as required, through a no-cost reliable transportation program. In 2012, more than 18,000 miles of service were provided to York County residents who would otherwise not have had access to cancer care.

“To the extent that we may eliminate this barrier to care for York County residents in greatest need — and in the midst of what is likely one of the most emotionally and physically exhausting experiences of their lives — we can truly make a meaningful impact by providing relief from one possible stress at what can be a very stressful time,” said YCCAC Transportation Program Director Connie Garber.

Maine Cancer Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the health and well-being of Maine people by funding cancer research, education and patient support programs. One hundred-percent of the funds raised remain in Maine.

Maine Cancer Foundation is unique in its top-to-bottom approach to fighting cancer. While research makes up the core of its grant funding program, each year Maine Cancer Foundation provides financial support to dozens of patient and education programs statewide.

York County Community Action Corporation (YCCAC) is a private nonprofit organization serving York County residents since 1966. The mission of the agency is to help York County’s low income citizens minimize the effects of poverty, attack its underlying causes, and to promote dignity and self-sufficiency through several social service programs.